Sunday, February 28, 2010

Class 302 Mango Shaved Snow



Too bad every random meal cannot be dessert. Good thing today is dessert Sunday. Wow, this place was quite an adventure to get to. The parking lot to this place was a madhouse. It was a cold and slightly rainy day and yet I was still in the mood for a cold treat. We have for today Mango Shaved Snow. The typical shaved ice consists of ice that is shaved down with some food flavoring poured over the top of it to give it flavor. This is nothing like that. This is shaved snow. The shaved snow looks like grated cheese but feels like soft powder snow. It is pleasantly mushy and quickly melts in your mouth. It is unique in its own right because I believe that before the snow is shaved, it is most likely a frozen ice cream that is entirely flavored. When they shave it down, each and every bite is completely packed with flavor. It has the perfect blend of sweetness that refreshes your palate without overpowering you with sugary hangover.

We have for today, the Mango Shaved Snow. The Mango Shaved Snow is delicately shaved and then topped with fresh mangos and drizzled with sweet condensed milk. The dessert is complete when a few soft and gooey rice cakes are placed at the base of the shaved snow mountain. The serving size is generous enough for 2 but you will have to beat me in a duel, before I share this wonderful treat.
Found at Class 302 in Rowland Heights, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f8.0, 1/80, iso 1100)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Stone Oven Spicy Chicken Sandwich



For today's random meal of the day, we have a spicy chicken sandwich with avocados, black bean & corn salsa, chipolte mayo on a wonderful bread.
Found at Stone Oven in Valencia, CA.

(Leica D-LUX4, 60mm, f2.8, 1/20, iso 200)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Zankou Chicken



Today we have a 1/4 chicken breast meal from Zankou. They make the most amazing chicken.
Found at Zankou Chicken in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/400, iso 200)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

FuRaiBo Double Jane Course



Today we feature chicken skin for our random meal. Why feature chicken skin you may ask, well, you haven't ever tasted chicken skin until you tasted FuRaiBo's chicken skin. The way they prepare the chicken is very distinctive. They fry the chicken until the crispy skin fuses with the chicken meat itself. You then have one complete solid crispy unit. This is also the 4th FuRaiBo that I've been to which means I went to everyone of their southern California restaurants. Back to the food, today we have again the double Jane course lunch special. This is a double order of the crispy chicken breast, with a miso salad and side of rice.
Found at FuRaiBo in Gardena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f2.8, 1/80, iso 6400)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Whole Foods Smoked Chicken Wings



We have wings, wings and more wings for our random meal today. Ahh prepackage wings from the "Natural and Organic Grocery" Store. The wings are served in a brown paper bag with a see through window. So unassuming that something in a brown paper bag can rival restaurant quality. The chicken is free range according to the bag. The chicken is also "individually cooled using cold air, rather than placing the chickens in a communal bath of water. With no water absorbed, the air chilled method keeps the 'real' chicken flavor and juices."

The chicken wings are coated with a marvelous smoke spice rub that penetrates the skin and infuses each and every wing with flavor. You will not need any sauce with these wings. The wings are also baked and not fried for the extra healthy twist as the wings are served by the pound and I choose the smallest brown bag. This bag was 1.05 pounds and only $4.19 out of my pocket.
Found at Whole Foods in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f5.6, 1/125, iso 200)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Las Fuentes Arroz Con Pollo



It took me more than 10 years before I finally had this random meal. It started one sunny day at lunchtime. I suggest to my coworker to go to "Taco Bell" for lunch. He looked at me like I was insulting him and his idol "Steve Jobs". He flat out said that "Taco Bell" is not Mexican food and that there was no way he would ever go to one. Well, my response was that "Taco Bell" not Mexican food but is fast food, and we should go. He said he would only go to good Mexican restaurants and told me about Las Fuentes way out in the Valley. Well, fast forward 10 years and he still has not been to "Taco Bell" and I finally gave in and went to Las Fuentes.

The road trip to the Valley was 25 glorious miles and we had to battle the sparse parking to face the restaurant and I entered the wrong door. I guess you should pay attention to the do not enter this door sign. After a minute of looking for the host to sit us down, I finally realized that you order at the counter. This was were the excitement started. I see the "Gringo Style" on the menu and was wondering if this was a practical joke and he sent me to a taco bell like restaurant all the way in the Valley. He always called the restaurant as Fuentes and not the official Las Fuentes. I did happen to send him to a real "Taco Bell" when he called me up while on vacation asking for an address to a "good" restaurant and I gave him the address to the nearest Taco Bell to punch into his GPS. But I digress....

Well, this was no taco bell. I finally realize the errors of my knucklehead ninja ways. I had an order of the most delectable chicken plate I have ever had. We have here the Arroz Con Pollo. This is a fantastic shredded chicken breast perfectly seasoned and topped with ranchera sauce and cheese, and placed in a bed of this out of this world rice. This was absolutely wonderful.
Found at Las Fuentes in Reseda, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 360)

Monday, February 22, 2010

In-and-Out Burger Double Double



Today is round 2 at In and Out. We have the double-double squared! The left double-double has grilled onions and no secret sauce while the right double-double has no onions with the secret sauce. I also watched them freshly chop up some gigantic potatoes into french fries. There is nothing frozen about the fries. Yummy.
Found at In-and-Out Burgers in Hollywood, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f5.6, 1/160, iso 200)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Krispy Kreme Glazed Raspberry Filled Doughnut



I can never resisted a doughnut that has fillings inside. It is like having 2 delicious treats in one. Today we have the glazed Raspberry filled doughnut. Only one yummy doughnut for today's random meal treat.
Found at Krispy Kreme in Burbank, CA.

(Leica D-LUX4, 24mm, f4.0, 1/20, iso 100)

Saturday, February 20, 2010

McDonald's Sweet Chili McNuggets



Today's random meal is from an official Olympic partner. We have the new Sweet Chili dipping sauce for the some chicken McNuggets.
Found at McDonald's in Los Angeles, CA.

(Leica D-LUX4, 35mm, f2.3, 1/50, iso 200)

Friday, February 19, 2010

Beech St Pizza



Today we have a slice of pepperoni and a slice of sausage for our random meal. The pizza crust is great.
Found at Beech St Pizza in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D5000, 35mm, f2.8, 1/100, iso 1000)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Rocco's Sausage Pizza



A slice of delicious New York style pizza on a awesome thin crust pizza dough and topped with sliced Italian sausage. You can never go wrong with the pizza here.
Found at Rocco's in Los Angeles, CA.

(Leica D-LUX4, 41mm, f2.8, 1/30, iso 400)

We also have 2 slices at the restaurant.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Los Angeles Pizza Company Buenos Aires



Today's random meal is a departure from the typical pizza fare. We have for today the Buenos Aires pizza. The very first thing you may notice from the pizza is that it is green. Yes, that is the actual color of the pizza and not a weird auto white balance issue. The best way to describe it would be to compare it to the green color of pesto. The Chimichurri sauce is used as the base of the pizza. It is an earthly green shade and is normally a meat marinade. The Chimichurri sauce is used as an alternate for tomato sauce. This one culinary decision entirely changes the pizza taste and texture. The cheese on the pizza is now more solid as it melts into the pizza dough with only the thin layer of Chimichurri sauce between the cheese and the dough. The slices of pizza feel denser than a typical pizza slice. The Chimichurri sauce infuses with the cheese and pizza dough to become one. This creates a sharp salty fusion. The exclusion one conventional ingredient, the tomato sauce, completely transforms the complexity of the pizza but also creates a wonderful aroma. The pizza is completed when it is topped with a delicious Argentinean sausage, mushrooms and some fresh basil.
Found at Los Angeles Pizza Company in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 5000)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Sbarro Pepperoni Pizza



Today we have the Sbarro's pepperoni pizza. I call this the factory pizza because it is always consistent and you can almost always count the same number of pepperoni slices on the pizza.
Found at Sbarro's in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f16, 1/80, iso 4500)

Monday, February 15, 2010

Spoon House Bakery Napolitano with Egg & Bacon Garnish Spaghetti



Today’s random meal brings us a Japanese Italian cuisine. The infusion of both culinary styles leads to some fabulous creations. The bakery in the name of the restaurant is a bit misleading as it is not a typical bakery. The only baked goods they sell are the marvelous bread that they serve with your meal. This is a large and wide Italian roll that has the perfect crispy yet supple texture. I could see myself just eating an entire roll of this amazing bread all by itself. Now we proceed on to the main course. We have the Napolitano with Egg & Bacon Garnish spaghetti. This is an interesting blend of the two culinary styles. We start with the sauce for the spaghetti first. The sauce is more on the Italian side with a rich marinara type sauce. You then infused this with some carrots, and onions for the twist. Now, you top your spaghetti with a few non traditional Italian toppings for this type of meal. We have a scrumptious and solid piece of bacon that is had a nice crispy crunch but still tender at the same time. You need a certain thickness in the bacon for this to happen. I love this type of bacon. It looks like they then cooked your egg right into the bacon pan, because the egg and bacon infused together into wonderful solitary unit. When you join the egg, bacon, sauce and spaghetti together in your mouth, you just become conscious of the glorious wonders of a Japanese Italian cuisine.
Found at Spoon House Bakery in Gardena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 250)

Yummy Bread.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Four Kitchens Soft Serve Ice Cream



Today's random meal treat is soft serve ice cream. It is one of the simple pleasures in life.
Found at Four Kitchens in Redondo Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/125, iso 200)

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Shogun Salmon



Today's random meal brings us a dinner show. What's a typical fare? Dinner and a movie or dinner and a show. On occasion, you can combine dinner and a show together in one sitting. This is what we have for today's random meal. A joint dinner and show gathering. Your meal is masterfully prepared for you live. The chef first starts with the rice. He gracefully bounces an egg york to start the show and then blends the egg into the rice to create a wonderful fried rice mix if you choose to partake in. Up next are the vegetables; the chef lets the veggies grill and soften on the griddle. The Salmon is also place on the griddle with the veggies. The chef then proceeds to create some wonderful shrimp. Next comes the magic show with the exploding onion volcano. This is quite the treat to behold. Subsequently the meats are place on the griddle and the meal is complete. The salmon is magically completed at the same time the rest of the meat is finished. You are then presented with your carefully crafted plate of food. The show has now concluded and the main event starts. Your dinner now awaits you.
Found at Shogun in Pasadena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f2.8, 1/80, iso 5600)

We also have some delicious New York Steak.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Siam I Am Basil Leaves with Chicken



There are so many Thai restaurants to choose from for our random meal. This particular restaurant is quaint with four total tables. I don’t ever remember being in such a petite but cozy restaurant before. I believe it is with small space that they are able to keep the prices so affordable. Today we have the Basil Leaves with Chicken. This is a unique blend of herbs and spices that mingles well with the chicken. It starts with a spicy sauce that is mixed with bell peppers and onions. You then add an airy and crispy side salad with a scoop of rice and your meal is complete. This is an ideal swift and light lunch spot.
Found at Siam I Am in Redondo Beach, CA.

(Nikon D5000, 35mm, f2.8, 1/320, iso 200)

We also have an order of the Spicy & Sour Soup.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sanuki No Sato Nabeyaki Udon



Today’s random meal features Udon. Let me start of by stating that this is the best Udon that I have ever eaten. I’m not even sure what I have eaten before will even qualify as Udon as this Udon is that much more superior. We are just only talking about the Udon itself. Unfortunately, the topping are blocking the picture of the actual Udon itself. What makes this so superior? It’s the consistency and the texture that sets this apart from the rest. It is so silky smooth that is just slips off your chopsticks and slides delicately down to warm your tummy. The Udon is incredibly soft and it effortless to bite into them. It is a pleasurable experience to enjoy. We have for today the Nabeyaki Udon. This is Udon “topped with shrimp tempura, half-boiled egg, chicken, fish cake, shitake mushroom, seaweed, and sansai vegetables served in a hot iron pot.” Besides the wonderful Udon, the toppings effectively enhance the flavor of the meal. The more you dig into your bowl, the more the flavor rises to the top. It is an impressive blend of toppings that heightens the taste of the remarkable Udon.
Found at Sanuki No Sato in Gardena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 5600)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Flossie's Fried Chicken



Fried Chicken is today’s random meal. The great thing about eating fried chicken is the anticipation of taking the initial bite of the crunchy piece of fried chicken. You are wondering if it is going to be worthy piece chicken. Is it going to be crispy enough and not greasy? Those are the two magical questions. Today’s random meal brings us some delicious soul food. Let’s start with the two side items first. We have a side of greens and a side of mac and cheese. This is actually my first experience eating greens and for me it gets relegated to the vegetable category. It tastes like a veggie and I’m not a fan of veggies. The mac and cheese has a nice flavor to it. Now on to the chicken, we have two pieces of chicken, a chicken breast and wing. This is the typical fare when upgrading to white meat pieces. Yes the pieces of chicken were perfectly crispy and not greasy. The batter had an excellent blend of spices to it. The only deficiency is that the chicken breast was a tad bit smaller than normal. This left me craving for more of the scrumptious chicken. The color hue on the chicken is a bit off because the restaurant had completely tinted its two large windows. I could not properly perform a manual white balance to correct this but the chicken did in have a brilliant golden color to it.
Found at Flossie's in Torrance, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 1600)

We have an order of the fried Catfish.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Back Home In Lahaina Leiato Special



Today’s random meal brings us a Hawaiian style extravagance. We have the Leiato Special. Ahh sometimes, I choose what to eat based on something out of the ordinary. Other times I believe it will make an excellent picture. This is a combo of the two. If you are wondering, yes this is Spam. Yes the same Spam that comes out of cans. We have for today’s random meal; Spam, Eggs, and Bacon Fried Rice! This meal was positively very interesting. We start with the Spam, the feature of today’s random meal. Spam, well tastes uniquely like Spam. It is a salty mix and has a consistency of very soft ham. It looks like the Spam was fried. Second we continue with 2 eggs cooked over medium or over easy. I choose to have the egg over easy. Without bread to soak it up, it turned the rice even richer. Now on to the wonderful fried rice. Wait it is not just fried rice, it is bacon fried rice. Yes there are sizeable pieces of bacon infused into the rice. Combine the bacon fried rice with the Spam and you have a lovely salty indulgence.
Found at Back Home in Lahaina in Manhattan Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 720)

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Veggie Grill Chinese Chickin' Salad



Today's random meal brings us a vegan meal. Let me start off by stating that I am a self professed "Meatatarian". When I normally eat a sandwich, I shake off the leafy green stuff. The green stuff is the decoration to enhance the picture and not to be eaten. Veggies are a garnish to me. But sometimes I do a 180 and try something new. It is my own personal random meal of the day assignment as a picture can be enough to get you to try something new. Today we have the Chinese Chickin' Salad. Notice the spelling of the chicken, it is not a misspelling but is processed soy to look, feel and kind of taste like chicken. So it really is Chickin'. The funny thing about the Chickin' is that after the initial tasting and the analyzing the flavor, you forget that it is processed soy. I ended up eating the salad like I would normally eat my other meals. Once the "meat" was finished, I subconsciously stopped eating the green stuff and had to power down to finish the veggies. The veggies consists of "romaine, cabbage, green onion, sesame seeds, roasted corn salsa, mandarin oranges with a sesame-rice vinaigrette." As a bonus the salad is "infused with Quinoa ('keen-wa'), a nutritionally charged high-protein 'supergrain'". For a non meat meal, this was a pleasant random meal.
Found at The Veggie Grill in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 320)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Lollicup Boba Milk Tea



Today's random meal treat is a Boba Milk Tea.
Found at Lollicup in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D5000, 35mm, f2.8, 1/160, iso 200)

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Square One Dining Brioche French Toast with Bourbon - Pecan Topping



Breakfast is today's random meal of the day. I consider breakfast to be my favorite meal of the day. I am always on the lookout for some interesting french toast. Today we have the Brioche French Toast with a Bourbon Pecan Topping. The rich butter Brioche bread enhances the flavor of the egg that is used to make the french toast. Since Brioche bread already has a higher concentration of egg and butter, this makes this french toast quite decadent. The bourbon pecan topping mingles well with the french toast and lightens up the rich flavor. The dollop of whipped cream turns this breakfast into more of a delicious dessert indulgence.
Found at Square One Dining in Hollywood, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/400, iso 200)

Friday, February 5, 2010

American Farmhouse Roadside Grill Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip Sandwich



Today's random meal brings us some Santa Maria style BBQ. This hidden gem of a restaurant brings us from the oak pit grilled some perfectly prepared tri-tip sirloin slice thick enough to bring out the tender juices from the meat. You then topped this off with a fantastic Santa Maria style salsa that heightens the flavor of the tri-tip without overshadowing the savory taste of the steak. When you lay the top half of the grilled garlic butter french roll to complete the sandwich, you realize that you have just found perfection in a sandwich. You will judge all other sandwiches for now on to this elevated standard. The side of lip-smacking home fries just flawlessly completes this meal.
Found at American Farmhouse Roadside Grill in Manhattan Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 250)

We have here an order of the second place Rib-Eye Steak Sandwich.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Umami Hatch Burger



Today we have the Umami Hatch Burger for our random meal. This burger has 4 different varieties of green chilies. It will "spice up your life."

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/160, iso 200)

We also have the Market Salad as a starter.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

7-Eleven 1/4 Pound Hot Dog



1/4 pound hot dog with chili and cheese. ymm.
Found at 7-Eleven in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f3.0, 1/80, iso 500)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Pho 87 Special 87 Sauteed Rice Noodles



This is the Special 87 Sauteed Rice Noodles. The meal contains rice vermicelli with chicken, beef, and shrimp. It is quite a colorful concoction.
Found at Pho 87 in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f5.6, 1/80, iso 2000)

Monday, February 1, 2010

The Golden State Chicken Sandwich



Today we have the Golden State Chicken Sandwich with a side of jalapeno cabbage slaw. The chicken sandwich consists of a perfectly seasoned chicken breast along with arugula and tomatoes.
Found at the Golden State Cafe in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f5.6, 1/100, iso 200)

We also have the Golden State Salad topped with an order of grilled chicken.